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The Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism is based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Bhekisisa is one of only a few media outlets in the Global South specialising in solutions-based narrative features and analysis. We not only uncover problems but also critically evaluate the solutions meant to fix them. It’s an approach we also take with our opinion pieces.

What makes a good op-ed? What can I expect from the editing process? Who do I pitch a possible opinion piece to? Get the answers to all these questions along with some handy writing tips here before you make a submission.

How well is Pfizer’s COVID jab working in SA? We break down some of...

A local analysis found promising protective effects of the Pfizer COVID vaccine — even among those who had only received one dose. The data from Discovery Health illustrates how vaccination can lower your risk of infection. But even with this promise, the variants circulating in South Africa means we shouldn’t abandon existing safety measures.
Ask a different question and you may get a different answer: New research finds that the way in which you ask about disability may determine national statistics

Service delivery starts with data. See who’s been missing from the spreadsheets

Without accurate data, maginalised groups risk being left behind - again.
Governments should promote accurate knowledge about breastfeeding and implement policies — like paid maternity leave — to give women the time they need to breastfeed exclusively.

Breast is best: Exclusive breastfeeding could turn Africa’s child mortality tide

Malnutrition is a leading cause of death in under-fives, but there’s a simple — and free — solution that could save lives.
Rustenburg MSF driver Lebogang Seketema

Have wheels, will travel: The all-male crews who are taking on sexual violence one...

Floods, fires and war — for decades, first responders have been using this mental health hack to help people after disasters hit. Could it work for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence too?
South Africa's Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi played a leading role in convening government heads at a United Nations meeting this week.

How South Africa convinced the world to take TB seriously

Heads of state discussed one of the world's biggest killers in New York this week — and it was Aaron Motsoaledi who got them together.
What happened when these two men stopped taking their medicine for TB? They were arrested and thrown into police cells.

Why people failing to take their TB treatment should not be jailed

It's World TB Day. Here's why human rights and TB responses go hand in hand.
To uphold Nelson Mandela’s legacy

Nelson Mandela’s words about SA’s twin epidemics as true today as in 2004

SA has a chance to lead the world in realising Madiba’s dream this September as the United Nations convenes its first high level meeting on TB.
National guidelines say babies should get nothing but their mother’s milk for the first six months of life. But fewer than one in 10 women makes it to six months.

‘I thought I’d breastfeed my baby for a year. That dream was short-lived’

We tell moms to exclusively breastfeed. But we don’t tell them about all the things that get in the way of that, including depression.
Helen Zille has the right to her opinion

If HIV denialists don’t deserve a platform, why should Helen Zille?

Journalism does not begin or end with free speech, we have an ethical obligation not to give platform for abhorrent views in the name of free speech.
Taking control: HIV self-test kits like this are already available at pharmacies in South Africa

HIV stigma: ‘The fear of being blamed for being different is too much to...

Aids is a mirror that reflects how we think about society. It exposes our prejudices and our lack of ability to embrace diversity.
Gold miners work the Cooke Shaft in Johannesburg. Thousands of gold miners and their families are now seeking compensation for the sector's failure to protect miners from silicosis

#MiningIndaba: Why the real mining investors won’t be in Cape Town this week

The most important people in mining will not be among the movers and shakers at the high-profile event this week.

Global health still mimics colonial ways: here’s how to break the pattern

Why it's time we look within for expertise on how to fix Global South healthcare issues.
Jacob Zuma's political leadership on HIV and Aids is inconsistent.

​#AIDS2016: When last did you hear South African President Jacob Zuma say, ‘HIV’?

The country's political commitment to the fight against HIV cannot be judged solely by the accomplishments of a few government departments.
All sectors in society need to act to stop gender based violence say Sonke Gender Justice Network as they remember Reeva Steenkamp and Anene Booysen.

This Valentine’s Day don’t ignore the screams next door

All sectors in society need to act to stop gender based violence say Sonke Gender Justice as they remember Reeva Steenkamp and Anene Booysen.

GMO babies: Inside the bad science that sent a Chinese scientist to prison.

He Jiankui’s failed gene-edited baby experiment proves we're not ready for human embryo modification.
After a fake news story spreading myths about medical male circumcision went viral

​Zimbabwe mixes medicine and tradition for safer circumcision

Zimbabwe has successfully won the support of chiefs and their people by combining a respect for tradition with safe, modern procedures.